Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 121 The August Storm Begins

In early August, the heat of summer lingered in Shenzhen, but even hotter than the weather was the raging fire that had been ignited by the two top journals, Science and Nature, in the global academic and industrial communities.

Within just one week, fifteen papers on groundbreaking progress in gaseous lithium batteries were published like a bombshell, propelling the entire field of new energy materials into the spotlight!

Samne Davidson, Director of the Energy Storage Laboratory at Ropeway Institute of Technology (public statement):
"The core bottleneck of gas phase transition stability has not yet been truly resolved!"

The claimed cycle life of thousands of cycles in the paper is astonishing, but it must be rigorously reproduced and verified by an independent, authoritative third-party organization in North America!
There's a 'valley of death' between lab data and mass production; we urge cautious optimism!

This statement immediately became a rallying cry for international skepticism.

(Urgent internal email from the editorial board of Nature journal):

"Given the significant controversy, we have requested that the corresponding author teams of all relevant papers submit supplementary original characterization data (including but not limited to high-resolution TEM, XPS, synchrotron radiation, etc.) on the fine structure of the electrode-electrolyte interface within 72 hours for global peer review!"

The authority of top journals has been challenged like never before, but the corresponding author team has not come forward to respond to the doubts for a long time. Therefore, the breakthrough of gaseous lithium batteries is accompanied by huge controversy.

Tsinghua University Lithium Battery Research Group (Preprint Platform):

"After our team worked day and night to urgently reproduce the data, the core data in the paper is completely reliable!"

Even in an extreme -40°C environment, the sample battery still retains 80% of its initial capacity!

The average cycle life test reached 3258 cycles, with a peak of over 3500 cycles!
The allegations made by Masakazuki University are unfounded!

This preprint from a top domestic university has acted as a shot in the arm, greatly boosting morale across the country.

Later generations of netizens often joke about some of the controversial incidents involving Qingbei University, and even discuss the topic of "canceling Qingbei University" in a joking manner. However, judging from the annual allocation of national university research funds, Qingbei University still holds a unique position in the domestic scientific research field.

A country's priorities lie in where it spends its money.

Of course, there are also some "shrewd" voices who believe that we can skip the basic construction of the "first and second floors" and invest all the funds in the seven sons of the National Defense Army, so that they can directly build the "third floor" in a magnificent and exquisite manner.

This viewpoint overlooks a fundamental point: basic scientific research (the first and second floors) is the foundation of defense technology (the third floor). Without solid foundational support, even if the superstructure looks impressive in the short term, it will be difficult to withstand long-term risks and challenges.

After young researchers from Tsinghua University took the lead in speaking out, Academician Jiang Huaijin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering expressed his support on the front page of the Science and Technology Daily.

"This is not a simple technological improvement; it is the first time in China that a completely new battery technology paradigm has been defined and verified—the gaseous lithium battery!"

It breaks with the traditional path of solid-state and liquid electrolytes, opening up a new dimension of energy storage, and its significance is no less than that of the invention of the transistor!

Lin Heming and other top domestic scholars have written articles in support of this "domestic definition" of technological revolution.

Professor Zhixing Lu, a visiting professor at Princeton and a senior fellow at NASR, also suddenly issued a joint statement.

"The unique phase transition mechanism of gaseous lithium batteries has provided us with excellent inspiration!"
NASR's 'SABERS Space Battery Project' has urgently launched the research and development of a sub-project on gaseous lithium batteries based on hydrogen matrix quantum conduction!
Its excellent adaptability to extreme environments and potentially extremely high energy density represent a glimmer of hope for solving the energy bottleneck in deep space exploration!

The endorsement from the highest echelons of space exploration adds a science fiction-like footnote to the potential of gaseous lithium batteries.

The breakthrough in gaseous lithium batteries has not only caused a major upheaval in academia, but has also shaken global industry giants.

Houda CEO Koichiro Houda publicly stated: "We have secretly contacted the core authors of the paper and proposed a 30-year strategic roadmap for the joint development of 'solid-state-gas hybrid batteries.' We must seize this commanding height of future technology!"

Japan's long-established giants are still relying on sensationalism to rehash old ideas and exploit the domestic market.

As for cooperation negotiations?

Chen Mo had never received any official correspondence from Fengtian Company, let alone any personal contact with them.

Fengtian's sulfide solid-state battery was first unveiled in the laboratory in 2010, but it remains unchanged in 2025.

This exposes the rigidity and inertia of the Japanese giants' industrial system, which directly becomes the biggest obstacle to technological innovation.

I manufacture gasoline-powered cars, my entire upstream and downstream supply chain is related to gasoline-powered cars, and my lab has made groundbreaking breakthroughs in new energy battery technology!!!
The Japanese government and other giants in the industry chain: Go ahead and make batteries! Our industry will not only not cooperate with you, but we also won't buy your batteries.

In contrast, in China, the level of policy support for such technological breakthroughs is drastically different: as soon as laboratory results are achieved, expert teams intervene the very next day to provide guidance, and industrialization can be promoted within the year.

Seeing that Fengtian had spoken out, BTD also issued a brief announcement to boost its Hong Kong stock price.

"BTD launches the 'Shared Growth Plan' immediately!"
We have assembled a team of 300 core engineers to tackle the challenge of developing a high-speed fast charging technology compatible with both gaseous and solid-state batteries!
Goal: 3 minutes of charging provides a 500km range!

As a domestic battery giant, BTD reacted the fastest and had the most direct goal, then reaped a wave of stock market gains to fund its R&D.

Tesla CEO Facabook:
"Holy Sh*t!"
The charging efficiency of gaseous lithium batteries is supposedly 23 times that of our 4680 batteries?! (Foreign child holding head in shock.jpg)

This will completely change the game!

We must reassess the massive investment plan for production line 4680!
"Engineering team, give me a comprehensive evaluation report on the gaseous battery technology roadmap immediately, NOW!"

Masque's shock and profanity instantly ignited global social media.

The domestic "Battery Industry News" revealed that the minutes of an internal meeting of Zeng, the general manager of Ningde, were leaked:
"The situation is dire! The gaseous route is advancing with overwhelming force!"
Our strategy must be two-pronged:
1. At all costs, accelerate the research and development of existing sodium-ion solid electrolytes!

2. Immediately allocate elite resources to focus on core patent development based on sodium ion gaseous electrolytes!

The future belongs to the solid state, but we must ensure we still have a foothold in the unpredictable gaseous era!

Ning De Zeng's anxiety and determination to make a decisive transformation are vividly portrayed.

The major upheaval in the industry has naturally attracted the attention of capital.

Goldman Sachs' urgent internal report (North American retail investors: I don't know why such a large financial institution would have its internal reports leaked every day, and I just happened to find out about it):

"If gaseous lithium batteries are successfully industrialized, they will reshape the global supply and demand pattern and valuation system of lithium resources!"
The valuations of existing lithium mining giants face the risk of reassessment!
Recommendation: Strongly recommend a long position in Albemarle Lithium (ALB), a North American company with advanced lithium extraction technology! Simultaneously, closely monitor the supply chain of core materials for gaseous batteries!

Goldman Sachs, the wolf of Warstreet, always has the keenest sense of smell.

Southern Sunday: Breaking News! Sequoia Capital's Neil Qian's Itinerary Revealed
A reporter photographed Neil Qian, the head of Sequoia Capital China, making a low-key appearance at the Shenzhen National New Energy Laboratory (an important participating institution in the paper) within 48 hours after the paper was published, and completing due diligence on an angel round investment in a startup team for core materials of a gaseous battery within 72 hours!
The speed is astonishing.

The breakthrough of gaseous lithium batteries has been fraught with chaos, but the Chinese authorities have swiftly and decisively resolved the issue, bringing it to a definitive conclusion.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has swiftly included the gaseous lithium battery project in the highest-level "Disruptive Technology Innovation Special Project," and has allocated an initial 10 billion yuan in research funding, requiring that efforts be concentrated to accelerate breakthroughs in its engineering and infrastructure adaptation.

The Ministry of Information Industry has urgently revised the "Regulations on the Access Management of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers and Products," adding a special clause on "Mandatory Testing Standards for the Safety of Gaseous Lithium Batteries," paving the way for future industrialization and setting a safety threshold.

A triple win of national awards (official daily report): The gaseous lithium battery project has won an unprecedented number of awards simultaneously.
Second Prize of National Technological Invention Award (in recognition of its disruptive innovation in technical principles and material systems)
The National Science and Technology Progress Award (in recognition of its outstanding efficiency in rapidly completing engineering demonstration and verification).

The National Energy Science and Technology Progress Award (in recognition of its significant role in energy security as a revolutionary energy storage technology).

With three awards and official confirmation, the government's support speaks for itself!

Despite the official stance and the sensible response from print media, emerging online channels for personal expression remain rife with both public opinion frenzy and division.

The top trending topic on Weibo is #GaseousLithiumBatteriesTopTheCoverOfScienceAndNature#, which has garnered over a billion views and sparked heated discussions.

The optimist (most upvoted): "Data from the Chinese Academy of Sciences confirms it! Charging for 5 minutes and achieving a range of 500 kilometers is not a dream!"
The nation's destiny is in our hands!

Our new energy vehicles will completely dominate the world, and a revolution that changes the way humans travel is just around the corner! Tremble, gasoline cars! (Image: A futuristic electric vehicle concept). Of course, there are all sorts of opinions online, with both praise and criticism.

The skeptics' voices became even more vehement:

"Even the bigwigs at Masheng University of Technology are questioning its stability!"
Is the data from a few grams of sample produced in the lab the same as that from mass production? If you can't overcome the 'valley of death,' it's all just a mirage!
Let's dig deeper into the story of that 'genius' Chen Mo, a second-year graduate student at Shenzhen University who dropped out and whose main job was making 499 yuan counterfeit mobile phones!
Could he really produce such a Nobel Prize-level achievement?
The Hanxin scam serves as a stark warning; let's not allow Zhonghua Technology to embarrass itself internationally again! (Image: A blurry old photo of Chen Mo arranging goods for a vendor at the entrance of a small workshop in North China, compared with a news screenshot of Chen from "Hanxin".)

This generation of netizens really has all kinds of pictures. Chen Mo never expected that his "path from where he came" would be photographed. And Chen, who lost his real name, has really brought shame to our Chen family!

Among netizens are some bizarre comments: they don't question the technology, but they question the people.

Some people claim that the gaseous lithium battery was invented by Liu Mingzhen, not only listing the resumes of "academic underachiever" Chen Mo and "academic genius" Liu Mingzhen, but also bringing up the fact that the corresponding author of the gaseous lithium battery is affiliated with Shenzhen National Laboratory.

Some people secretly speculated that Chen Mo was a third-generation heir with a powerful background, like "Chen the One-Page Man of Shanghai," and even spread rumors that he had Liu Mingzhen "disappear" from the Shenzhen National New Energy Laboratory in order to seize technology.

Chen Mo couldn't understand the other party's logic at all; what did Chen Guanshen from Shanghai have to do with it?

The key issue is that many people online actually believed this nonsense and went to the official newspaper to make a fuss, demanding that Chen Mo be severely punished and that Liu Mingzhen, who was still doing well at the Far Orange Laboratory, be given justice.

Office of the General Manager of Shenzhen Orange Technology Co., Ltd.

At the center of the storm, Chen Mo put down his mouse and stood up. The screen on the side of his desk was still showing Weibo, filled with comments demanding that the authorities severely punish the perpetrators.

On the table in front of him were sample copies of "Science" and "Nature" sent to him, the second co-author, by Professor Jiang, Liu Mingzhen, and researchers from the Shenzhen National New Energy Laboratory.

In addition, there was a preprint report from Tsinghua University, as well as a thick stack of invitations for special reports from domestic and foreign universities.

Stanford University even extended an invitation through alumni connections, with Professor Lin facilitating the invitation to give a lecture, offering a $10 fee.

Meanwhile, the laboratory of the Qinghua Lithium Battery Research Group was bustling with activity.

The young researchers hurried along, their phones ringing and conversations filling the air.

"What a pity! If it were us, we could have easily won all thirty papers in Science and Nature, and turned it into our own gaseous lithium battery launch event!"

After a burst of laughter, the air was filled with a complex atmosphere of excitement, pressure, and uncertainty.

In Chen Mo's general manager's office, he walked to the window and gazed at the gradually brightening, bustling skyline of Shenzhen.

The doubts surrounding the hemp rope, the shock of Ma Shi Ke, Ningde's shift, the official support, the frenzy of capital, and the tearing apart of online public opinion.
All of this stems from gaseous lithium batteries, which have ignited the first "flame" in the hotly debated new energy era.

The storm has arrived. Will gaseous lithium batteries become a torch illuminating humanity's future, or just a fleeting firework?

Far Orange is not the only solution. Now that the technological direction is clear, more players will eventually enter the game and provide their solutions.

A single flower blooming is not spring, but when all flowers bloom, the garden fills with spring.

The objective development of technology is never limited to breakthroughs in a single area. Only when more players enter the market with innovation can a truly thriving global industrial ecosystem be created.

Chen Mo is not as short-sighted as the Japanese; he prefers to work with everyone to make the pie bigger and then strive to take the largest share.

The following day, at 3 p.m., Wang Kai appeared at Orange Technology on time.

Gong Yun led him to the general manager's office, her expression calm, but a hint of curiosity lurking in her eyes.

She was also curious to see what real treasure this man, who held the "Imperial Sword" bestowed by General Chen, could produce in three days.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Wang has arrived!"

After Gong Yun announced the news, she gently closed the door.

Chen Mo sat behind his large desk, his gaze calmly fixed on Wang Kai. Without exchanging pleasantries, he gestured directly to the chair opposite him.

"Sit down, Mr. Wang. Three days have passed. Let me see your worth."

Wang Kai showed no stage fright, calmly sat down, and pushed a neatly bound document in front of Chen Mo.

"Mr. Chen, this is a briefing on the current state of the domestic smartphone market and the opportunities and threats to Orange Technology, which I have compiled based on three days of intensive research and analysis."

He spoke slowly but clearly:

1. Market Structure
Foreign brands:

Pingguo 4 achieved monthly sales of over 50,000 units through parallel imports, demonstrating its potential after its official launch in October.

After switching to Android, the Sanjing S-series sold 103 million units in July, dominating the high-end and mid-range markets, while Nokia's Symbian market share further declined.

HYC abandoned its previous identity as Dopod and entered the domestic market directly under the HYC brand with its One series. However, it was accused of "discrimination" because its 400-megapixel configuration was criticized by domestic users as having "reduced actual parameters." The series' reputation has collapsed, and its future prospects are worrying.

Domestic brands:

Fantasy and Coolpad rely on carrier-remastered phones to compete in the low-to-mid-range market.

Conclusion: The current domestic smartphone market is characterized by high barriers to entry in the high-end segment and an unsettled mid-to-low-end segment, presenting a window of opportunity for Orange to penetrate the lower-tier market.

2. Technical aspects

Hardware: Capacitive screen and single-core processor (such as the Snapdragon 8250) are standard features for high-end products. 3G is just starting out and entering the market commercial exploration stage.

System: Android 2.2 is widespread, and iOS multitasking is impressive. (Xiaomai (Lei Jun's new company) has released a prototype of its custom UI; UI/UX will be the next battleground.)

3. User needs

For mid-to-low-end consumers, the price range is 1000-2000 yuan; for high-end consumers, it depends on the brand.

Poor battery life and lag are common pain points!

Application compatibility, data security, and after-sales service are potential needs.

4. Policy Forecast

With government support imminent, it will most likely be provided through bundled operator packages. Traditional contract phone distributors like ZTE and Coolpad are likely to be on the subsidy list and will be a leading manufacturer in the short term.

5. Supply chain risks
Mid-to-high-end screens and chips still rely on foreign technology, while gaseous lithium batteries have become the only breakthrough for domestically produced mobile phones!
6. Opportunities and Threats
Opportunity: The low-to-mid-end market is not yet fully established, and e-commerce channels (such as Jingdong's launch of a mobile version) are a powerful tool for latecomers.

Orange, possessing battery technology, should plan ahead for the next generation (larger capacity, faster charging) to build high barriers to entry in battery technology.

Threat: Industry giants are squeezing out competitors with policy resources. (Recommendation: While deepening your presence in rural towns, you must open a second front in first- and second-tier cities before September to establish brand awareness.)
Chen Mo quickly flipped through the documents, listening to Wang Kai's concise and powerful report, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

This report is not only detailed and insightful, but it is also unsurprising that the national subsidy policy overlooked oranges.

What's most remarkable is that he accurately pointed out the advantages of oranges and the challenges they must face in the future, especially the suggestion to "open up a second front," which coincided with his own.

(End of this chapter)